As someone who is still using his classic iPod, I get bummed when I have to travel. My iPod is synced to my DESKTOP computer and to move things to my laptop is a hassle. This means there are occasionally times when I run out of new episodes to listen to.
I'm still on the fence on switching from my droid to an iPhone, but this app may make me switch. It's called downcaster ($1.99) and it makes it easy to manage your podcast subscriptions – without using itunes. They just came out with a new version that even lets you play podcasts at 2X speed. Here are the features.
* Search, subscribe to and download audio and video podcasts of any size
* Manually subscribe to podcasts via URL
* Download podcasts automatically (including resuming downloads)
* Download podcasts in the background (for supported devices)
* Browse and download older podcast episodes
* Auto-update podcasts on open
* Settings for auto-download and episode retention (globally and per-podcast)
* Backup and import podcast feeds via OMPL
* Support for password-protected feeds
* Play audio in the background (for supported devices)
* 2x speed playback
* Stream episodes without downloading
* Control audio with Bluetooth or other headphone remote controls
* Create and edit “smart” playlists
* View podcast details and episode show notes
* View embedded images in podcast episodes
* Rename podcasts with long or unwieldy names
* Gesture support
* Sleep timer
With an overall average rating of 5 stars in the App Store, Downcast boasts features such as advanced download and retention settings, support for gestures and background downloading.
